Biased media? AAP termed ‘devil’ but no debates on LG’s moves

The tussle between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor has been a topic of discussion on the news channels. The discussions seem to point that people’s aspirations, rights, privileges and quality of life are not the goals of any truly independent and free nation and this has always been a ‘fundamental’ issue. In turn, it is the role of the citizens to serve the constitution, no matter how oppressive it might be.

The so-called experts argue – some passionately, some hysterically- to establish that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is wrong, support the Lieutenant Governor, Najeeb Jung. AAP has been showered with allegations that they can’t govern and are not a team player with words like ‘inexperienced’ and ‘anarchist’ being thrown around. No debate ever bothered to emphasize on the views which AAP has been trying to communicate to the public and propose to investigate to protect the interest of the people.

There are certain questions that media should raise with respect to this tussle. AAP has claimed to have busted the racket, which controlled transfer postings of SGM in lucrative areas that were not done on the basis of public interest, but was an industry where such decisions were made through bribery. The Lieutenant Governor reportedly used his influence to get control over transfer posting. Isn’t it pertinent to ask whether Lieutenant Governor is aware of the transfer posting industry? If posting has indeed taken the shape of an industry and influenced by bribery has AAP done anything wrong? Why does Lieutenant Governor want to take over that responsibility from AAP?

The mainstream media has failed to highlight that when the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) prosecuted a constable, who was caught red- handed while taking bribe and was taken into custody, the Lieutenant Governor’s office along with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appealed to the Supreme Court for his bail.

Lieutenant Governor had made all preparations to transfer ACB office under its own control until the High Court ruling prevented that transfer. AAP said that Delhi Government has jurisdiction over Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). Shouldn’t this kind of behaviour of the Lieutenant Governor be discussed in public?

While AAP claims that they have organized Mohalla Sabha and are trying to engage common people in running their day to day administration of daily life, has the Lieutenant Governor made any efforts to support such practices? Or has he tried to evaluate the public reaction to such Sabhas?

No debate or discussion has been held to check whether actions of Lieutenant Governor or AAP are helping the common man to make things easier for the common man. In one debate, a Congress spokesperson complained that areas in Delhi have no water, electricity and sewer lines and AAP has not done anything to improve such condition. No reporter, viewer or panellist bothered to point to the Congress spokesperson that ask how can she be so shameless even to ask such a question when Congress politicians were swindling and looting the nation since 1947. They did not install such basic amenities and expect others to do that in 100 days under collective siege.

Referring to the statement of a former Congress Minister who at a rare moment of honesty said during the cabinet discussion on land acquisition that for industry in tribal areas one gets the impression as if there are no habitation on the land in question, they do not even exist. This is a very significant observation. Make no mistake, in the tussle between the Lieutenant Governor and Delhi Government one may see same approach. People in the Lieutenant Governor camp might feel that people’s role is to serve Parliament, Constitution and law, no matter how oppressive or harmful that might be. Not the other way around.

Instead of these pertinent issues, flowery words are used to determine whether the water in the bottle or bottle is in the water? These worthless wordy discussions will continue as long as they are helpful to confuse people so that common people may be distracted from identifying who is out to strangle them with a mask of “DEMOCRACY, CONSTITUTION, FREEDOM.”

Truth is no one gives your right, you have to fight for it. This truth is manifesting itself in here as well. Time has come for people to decide whether they will allow themselves to be fooled continuously or identify who are with them and who are not.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of NewsGram.

The BJP was on Tuesday set to return to power in its southern bastion Karnataka as its candidates crossed the half-way mark in vote count, stunning and ousting the ruling Congress and leaving the JD-S at the third spot.

Noisy celebrations broke out in party offices in Bengaluru, New Delhi and across Karnataka as Bharatiya Janata Party nominees were on the victory lap in 118 of the 222 constituencies which voted on Saturday.

This was a dramatic jump from the 40 seats the BJP won five years ago.

The Congress, desperate to retain power in the state amid shrinking appeal nationally, suffered major blows and was ahead only in 62 seats, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah trailing in both the constituencies he contested: Badami and Chamundeshwari.

The Congress leader was way behind G.T Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal-Secular in Chamundeshwari, Election Commission officials said. And after leading initially, Siddaramaiah fell behind B.R. Sriramulu of the BJP in Badami.

In contrast, the BJP’s Chief Ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa was ahead of his Congress rival by more than 11,000 votes in Shikaripura.

Energy Minister and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar said that the numbers indicated that his party was on the way out after five years in power.

Any party or grouping will need 113 of the total 224 seats to secure a majority in the Assembly. Polling did not take place in two constituencies on Saturday.

The BJP was overjoyed. “We are in a jubilant mood because we have crossed the half-way mark. We are confident of winning,” spokesman S. Shantharam told IANS.

BJP activists and leaders celebrated noisily in both Bengaluru and New Delhi, waving party flags and shouting slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, their main vote-getter, and party President Amit Shah.

There were also celebrations outside the residence of Yeddyurappa, who has been Chief Minister earlier too.

Karnataka Polls counting suggests big win for BJP, wikimedia commons

The Janata Dal-Secular of former Prime Minister H.D. Dewe Gowda, which has been expected to play the role of a kingmaker in the event of a hung Assembly, was leading in 40 seats — the same number it won five years ago.

As the vote count progressed, BJP leaders became assertive, saying they were confident of taking power again in Karnataka while Congress leaders began to speak about the possibility of an alliance with the JD-S.

BJP leader and Union Minister Sadanand Gowda said that there was no question of any alliance.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar, who is in charge of Karnataka, met BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Analysts said the BJP was leading in Lingayat dominated seats and the JD-S in Vokkaliga dominated areas.

Expectations of a BJP victory in Karnataka lifted the key Indian equity indices during the mid-morning trade session on Tuesday.